


Bumped into You, Tripped into Love

by Nekokratik



Series: Bumped into You, Fell Down a Hole [1]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Falling In Love, M/M, No Arcobaleno Curse (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), Sawada Tsunayoshi Is Not Vongola Decimo, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-10-25 01:07:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20715563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nekokratik/pseuds/Nekokratik
Summary: Reborn was sent to Japan as a favor for a friend. The mission seemed easy enough and the city was calm and quiet. He wasn't expecting anything other than a quick completion and going back home to Italy when someone bumped into him.He might as well have fun if he was going to take a vacation.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story about a Tsuna who never knew of the mafia, who never became Vongola Decimo. This is also a story about Reborn who was never cursed to be a baby. This is a story about how they met.
> 
> Things to keep in mind as you read: everyone is speaking in Japanese as they are in Japan, and Reborn has left his signature fedora as it stands out too much.

One late afternoon, in the calm and quiet city of Namimori, the train station was bustling with office workers who were on their way home from a long day of work and students that just got off school.

In the midst of it all, stood a tall, dark haired man in a simple black suit. The man seemed to be staring at the screens, giving the impression that he was a foreigner trying to figure out the train system. Office workers rushing home ignored him whereas most students would whisper and talk about him as they passed by, but no one approached him.

Meanwhile, Reborn was trying to keep track of his target's movement through the train station from the corner of his eye. As soon as the train arrived, the target boarded the train and Reborn got onto the car beside it. The open layout of the train allowed him a visual of the man yet also allowed him to keep his distance. He took hold of the top handrail while trying to track the man's movements, Reborn registered another person having rushed into the cart right as it was closing but paid them no mind.

The person tried to catch their breath and looked around to hold onto something but found that most side railings were already occupied. This left no other choice than the top railings. The brunet was by no means short, but he had to stretch him arm in order to hold on properly.

As the train moved along, Reborn noticed his target started fidgeting with his phone, but it didn't raise any alarms. After a few days of tailing this man, Reborn learned his habits, his tics, and his twitches. His target was a nervous man and the slightest noise could easily startle him.

Just as Reborn was scoping the rest of the train and its occupants, the train came to an abrupt stop.

The people who were sitting merely swayed with the momentum, but the passengers that were standing jerked backwards, and some even fell. Reborn was unaffected, but the brunet besides him didn't have a proper hold on the railing and ended up falling onto him with the brunet's hand falling from the railing onto Reborn's bicep as it was an easier and sturdier hold.

Once the train came to a full stop, there was an announcement apologizing for the abrupt stop and that services would restart in a few moments.

The brunet had closed his eyes in anticipation of a hard crash against something, but once the panic passed, he opened his eyes to see what he was holding onto. He came to the sight of a pair of dark alluring eyes.

After a couple of seconds of staring, Reborn raised an eyebrow and glanced at the hand that was still holding onto his arm.

The brunet immediately realized what or who he was holding onto and snapped his hand away.

"Oh my god, I-I'm so sorry." He apologized. The brunet's face flushed red and kept his eyes on the floor, trying and willing the floor to swallow him whole.

Reborn smirked. _Cute_.

After checking that his target was still sitting where he saw him last, Reborn turned some of his attention back to the brunet at his side.

"I don't mind," Reborn said. "Feel free to hold on."

The brunet merely nodded, but didn't, or more likely couldn't say anything yet he still didn't move.

Suddenly, the train started moving at a fast pace which jerked the passengers again.

By instinct, the brunet's hand reached for the closest sturdy hold which turned out to be Reborn's arm. The brunet was ready to apologize again when he saw the amusement in the raven's eyes and gave in. He shifted his hand to a proper hold.

"Thank you," the brunet muttered, figuring it was better to deal with the embarrassment than hurting himself from not holding on properly.

After a couple more stops, Reborn felt movement by his side. The brunet was glancing at him repeatedly, shifting his eyes from the floor to his eyes.

"Um, this is my stop," he said. "Thank you for, um, for letting me h-hold onto you."

"No problem," Reborn said with a smirk.

As soon as the doors opened, the brunet let go and rushed out.

Reborn watched him go with amusement and turned back to his task of watching his target, figuring another long boring night of surveillance was ahead of him.


	2. Chapter 2

After weeks of tracking the target, Reborn finally had his daily and weekly schedule down to a pat. He also had surveillance cameras and bugs discretely planted around the target's house which allowed him to keep track of the man from a greater distance. It also granted him time away as there was no longer a need for constant monitoring.

Which Reborn took advantage of as soon as possible.

In the early afternoon, he headed towards a small café a couple of blocks away from the place he was currently residing in. He ordered his espresso from the counter and took a seat at one of the corner tables.

As he waited for his coffee to arrive, he scouted the other patrons and the layout of the café. It wasn't crowded, but most tables seemed to be occupied either by small groups talking amongst themselves or other individuals focused on their own affairs.

"Here you go," the waitress said as she placed his drink down in front of him.

"Thank you," Reborn said.

"Is there anything else you would like to order?" the waitress asked as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"That is all for now," Reborn smirked, flustering her further.

"All right, please let me know if you change your mind," she stuttered out and scurried back to the counter and her coworkers.

Reborn took a sip of his coffee to cover his amusement. He knew the effect he had on others, be it male or female, and he reveled in breaking their composures and occasionally toying with them when he felt like it.

He glanced at the table besides him when he felt the person's fidgeting increase. He saw a brunet with a book too close to his face to read. The brunet peaked from the side of the book and squeaked when he made eye contact with Reborn, immediately hiding his face back in the book.

Reborn recognized the chocolate brown eyes instantly and smirked.

"Well, if isn't the cute shorty from the train," Reborn chuckled.

"I'm not short!" The brunet exclaimed as he pulled away from the book hiding his face. "I'm decently averaged height!"

"So he does talk," Reborn smirked.

The brunet seized as he forgot the book was no longer hiding him.

"Do I get a name for my troubles?" Reborn asked.

"Oh, uh, Tsuna, my name, I mean, my name is Tsuna," the brunet stammered through his words.

"Well, it is nice to see you again, Tsuna," Reborn said. Tsuna blushed at hearing his name with the man's voice.

"Y-yeah, um, likewise," Tsuna fidgeted with his hands, and glanced at the raven besides him with small glimpses. With every glimpse, Tsuna saw that the man was just staring intently at him which flustered him further. "Um, your name is?"

"Renato," Reborn said instinctively. He was surprised that was the first name he uttered as he usually gave out one of his aliases instead, especially when he was on a mission. "But most people call me Reborn." The last time he gave out his real name to anyone at all was back in his early teen years when he was still rising through the ranks.

"That's a nice name, um, sounds very fitting," Tsuna smiled at him.

"So, what are you doing?" Reborn asked ran his hand through his hair and tried to ignore the flutter he felt in his gut.

In front of Tsuna, there was a laptop, an opened textbook and a notebook with loose papers. Pens and highlighters scattered around the table. It seemed like the brunet had been around the café for quite some time.

"Oh, um, I'm studying," Tsuna said trying to tidy up the space in front of him. "I'm not good at math, but, uh, it's a required course."

"Oh?" Reborn raised an eyebrow at that. Tsuna started fidgeting with one of his pens, twirling it around his fingers.

"I'm, uh, I'm studying to become a teacher," Tsuna smiled. "I like little kids, so I figured, if it is about time I did something, I could become a teacher."

"Well, I could help you," Reborn said.

"Oh no, it's uh, it's alright, I will eventually figure it out, I hope," Tsuna finished with a murmur.

"It is no problem at all, I'm a math professor after all," Reborn said. The wistful looks and the enthusiasm of the brunet made him want to help the brunet.

"Oh," Tsuna said startled, not expecting the mysterious man besides him to have such an occupation.

Reborn shifted so his chair was closer to Tsuna and started rearranging the books so he could look at them.

"Where, uh, where do you teach?" Tsuna asked.

"Italy," Reborn said nonchalantly. "Politecnico di Milano, it is known for its art and engineering programs."

Tsuna looked at him with awe in his eyes. "Then, how come you are here?"

"I'm taking a sabbatical," Reborn replied. He saw which question the brunet was struggling with and pointed his mistakes on his notebook.

The two men worked on Tsuna's math course, refilling their drinks and getting a snack as the day went on.

* * *

"Finished!" Tsuna exclaimed as he pushed his notebook towards Reborn to check.

"Not bad," Reborn chuckled. Through the course of their impromptu tutoring session, Reborn had shifted closer for easier reach whereas Tsuna had started leaning in closer to listen to Reborn. Reborn sat close to Tsuna with one arm resting on the back of his chair.

"Thanks to you, I might not be failing anymore," Tsuna said with great enthusiasm.

"We'll see about that," Reborn said as he drained his cup of espresso.

"Even so, I can't thank you enough," Tsuna glanced at the windows to see that the sun was just setting down on the horizon. "If, um, if you are free, I would like to buy you dinner as well."

"Are you asking me on a date? How forward," Reborn smirked at the way the brunet flushed red.

"No! It's just as a, uh, a thank you! I mean, it’s not, it’s not a date," Tsuna stuttered through his embarrassment. "I mean, it's just a simple dinner, not anything too, um, too expensive or anything."

Reborn hummed in thought, a few hours have passed already which meant it was about time to check in on his surveillance cameras. Surely, a couple more hours didn't hurt.

"All right, let's go," Reborn said as he stood up and went to pay their bill at the counter.

Tsuna sat still as he processed the other man's words and abrupt actions until he saw that Reborn was already paying. He scrambled to shove everything into his bag and followed the other.

"Um, is there anything you would like to eat?" Tsuna asked as he peered up at the taller man's face.

"Can't say I'm familiar with the neighborhood yet," Reborn replied even though he had the entirety of the neighborhood memorized.

"Ah, well um, there is a ramen shop, or we could try Yamamoto's sushi. They are really good, and very nice, too" Tsuna smiled as he remembered the family that ran the restaurant.

"I haven't tried the local sushi yet, so I guess sushi it is then."

* * *

Yamamoto's Sushi was a family restaurant run by a couple and their kid who turned out to be Tsuna's childhood friend.

"Welcome!" The man behind the counter yelled as they entered the restaurant. "Oh! Tsuna, haven't seen you in a long time now! How are you, kid?"

"Yamamoto-san," Tsuna greeted back with a smile. "Sorry, I've been quite busy with work."

"No worries!" The man laughed. "And who is this fella with you?"

"Ah um, Reborn, he is a friend," Tsuna said with a bit of uncertainty. "He, uh, he is new to the area, so I'm showing him around."

"Well, welcome to Yamamoto's Sushi!" the man grinned. "I'm Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, let me know if there is anything I can help with."

"Thank you," Reborn nodded his head towards the chef.

Tsuna walked towards an empty table and Reborn followed suit. A waitress gave them cups of water and a couple of menus before walking away. They both decided on a couple of dishes with Reborn taking recommendations from the brunet.

"So, what made you want to be a teacher?" Reborn asked after they ordered.

"Um," Tsuna looked down at this hands that were fidgeting on the table, a solemn look over coming his face. "I like little kids, and my, uh, my mom had once suggested I become a teacher. So."

Reborn hummed thoughtfully as he stared intently at the brunet in front of him.

"What, um, made you want to teach math anyways?" Tsuna asked.

"I like math," Reborn smirked at the distaste on the other's face. "It is logical and interesting, sort of like a puzzle."

"I guess," Tsuna mumbled, not believing that anyone in the world would ever like math.

"Someone who can't even reach the handrail shouldn't even be questioning my likes and dislikes," Reborn teased.

"What," Tsuna sputtered. "That has nothing to do with it!"

Their food arrived and the dinner continued with a good flow of teases, smirks, and embarrassed stutters.

Reborn learned that the brunet was working at a bookstore and lived by himself in an apartment. He had a deceased father who had died on the job when he was young, so him and his mom lived quietly and peacefully, until she too passed a couple of years ago from an illness. Although there was still insurance money coming in, Tsuna found it relaxing to have a daily schedule of leaving the house to go to work. And with a bit of pushing from a friend, he finally decided to take up schooling again and continue his life.

Tsuna learned that the older man was raised in an orphanage in France until he was taken in by a couple and moved to Italy, though the couple soon passed away after he graduated from high school. He later got his degree, his masters and his doctorate in mathematics, and decided to teach in the university. He is now on a sabbatical after years of continuous hard work and pressure from his peers. He decided on Japan because he already knew the language and Namimori because it was quiet and peaceful.

"Thank you for helping me," Tsuna said once they paid and stood outside the restaurant under a starry night.

"I got a nice dinner out of it with some good company, I should be thanking you," Reborn smiled at the brunet. Tsuna didn't know when, but the other's cunning smirks mellowed out through the course of the dinner just as he got more comfortable talking to the other. "Tsuna, give me your phone." Reborn put his hand out and the brunet put his phone on his hand with a bit of confusion. "Let me know if you need anymore help, I will be happy to tutor you." Reborn inputted his number in the phone and sent off a text so he had the brunet's number. He placed the phone back in the brunet's hand and turned it so he could kiss the back of it. "Until next time."

Tsuna, stunned by the action, merely stood still as he watched the other walk away. It took a few seconds until he finally registered the kiss and turned bright red in response and clutched his hand against his chest. _Maybe it's a foreigner's thing. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this chapter I learned one thing: FARTHER is used to describe physical distance whereas FURTHER is used to describe metaphorical or figurative distance.
> 
> Also, I had mental debate whether or not to use Mr. instead of "-san" but then, considering that they are mostly speaking in Japanese, I guess "-san" was more fitting. So Yamamoto-san it is! I guess Tsuna is able to refer to Reborn without the honorific because either he is a foreigner or they just got really friendly, pick your poison and whatnot :D


	3. Chapter 3

Reborn had just finished his monthly report and sent it off to his contractor via email when his temporary phone chimed. He glanced at his phone to see that he had just received a message from Tsuna.

_Seems like class is running late today :( won't be able to make it sorry_

They had been meeting up at the same coffee house every weekend now for a tutoring session for the past few weeks. Even meeting up during the weekdays when Tsuna had the day off to walk around the small city of Namimori. Tsuna introduced him to the city center where life is bustling, but also the calmer sides of the city where the views were the best.

He sent out a short reply and got ready to head out.

Reborn had been in Japan for a couple of months now. His mission was surprisingly ordinary especially considering it was a contract referenced to him by Fon, a fellow trusted and respected hitman he had known for more than a decade. Reborn had already bugged the target's house and workplace, he had already sent reports with the background checks of anyone the target contacted more than twice, and he still sent monthly reports on the target's whereabouts. In between all that, he still found the time to meet up with Tsuna twice a week, be it for tutoring sessions or playing tourist.

Tsuna was an ordinary civilian with a boring and mundane life, yet something about the brunet attracted Reborn to him. Be it his naiveté, his kindness, or his compassion, Reborn decided he wanted to keep the brunet by his side.

Reborn strolled through the university campus leisurely. Since the meetings became a regular thing, Reborn has since forgone his usual suit and has dressed rather casually. With some dark jeans and a simple button up, he blended right in with the civilians around him.

He paused to regard the biggest building in the campus and noticed a group of girls whispering and giggling nearby. He put on his most charming smile and turned towards them.

"Hello ladies, would you happen to know where the Faculty of Education is?" Reborn asked. The girls simply stared at him until he raised an eyebrow at the girl closest to him.

"Oh, if you head east, and um, if you want, I could walk with you. I'm heading there anyways," the girl said.

"Of course, if you don't mind," Reborn waited as the girl said her hurried goodbyes to her friends. As they started walking, the girl tried to make small talk with him, and he replied with short answers and lead the questions back to her. By the time they reached the Faculty of Education building, he already knew her name, her program, her closest family and friends, and the whereabouts of where she lived.

"Let me know if you get lost again, I'll be happy to show you around," the girl handed him a paper with her number. He pocketed it as he watched her disappear into a lecture hall.

As he turned around, a group of students walked out of another lecture hall. Tailing at the end, Tsuna walked out talking to a red-haired boy. He leaned against a pillar waiting until the brunet did a double take towards his direction.

"Reborn!" Tsuna walked over to him. "Why are you here? Did you not get my text? And how did you know where to find me?"

"You ask too many questions," Reborn said as he ruffled the other's hair. "Yes, I did get your text. I'm here because you still owe me a coffee and I found my way with some nice ladies."

"Um," the red-haired boy that was with Tsuna looked warily between his friend and the stranger.

"Oh, Enma, this is Reborn," Tsuna gestured towards Reborn. "He was the tutor that I was telling you about. Reborn, this is Emma, he is in the same program as me."

"Nice to meet you," Enma muttered with a slight wave.

"Likewise," Reborn gave him a slight nod.

"Um, since you are here, would you mind helping us out then? I'll buy you espresso and dinner!" Tsuna said with hopeful eyes.

"Sure, but I choose the place," Reborn smirked. Tsuna sighed as if expecting that, but smiled at Enma, nonetheless.

* * *

Reborn chose a hole in the wall coffee house that was further from the campus to avoid the crowd of students studying for exams. The trio settled down in a corner table and Tsuna went to the counter to get their drinks. Meanwhile, Reborn stared intently at the redhead in front of him which made Enma nervous.

Enma tried to think of conversation topics to dispel the awkwardness and maybe even divert the stare.

"Um," Enma started. Reborn hummed in response which made Enma tense up even more.

"So, Enma, was it?" Reborn asked in a blasé tone. Enma nodded. "Any last name to go with that?"

"Um, Kozato, I was told my grandpa might have been Italian?" Enma said.

"I see," Reborn stared at the boy in front of him. "Do you still keep contact with your relatives in Italy?"

"Uh, no, my parents never mentioned anyone in Italy," Enma said, glad that they were no longer stuck with the awkward silent. "I have never been to Italy, and aside from my dad, none of us speak Italian."

"That's interesting, and how is your family?" Reborn asked.

"Oh, they are doing pretty good. My dad is retired now, so he takes my mom to travel around the world. It's mostly my sister and I, and our caretaker." Enma started with enthusiasm. In the short time Tsuna took to get their drinks, Enma talked about his family and friends, and his experience so far with university.

Caught up in talking about his family, Enma kept talking even after Tsuna distributed the drinks. Eventually, tutoring got started and they focused on their studies. Reborn answered any questions they had and soon a couple of hours had passed.

"Done!" Tsuna mumbled as he and Enma slumped down on the table.

"Yes, it is now all in the hands of fate," Enma mumbled back.

"You better pass after all the wisdom I have graciously bestowed upon you," Reborn said as he finished his coffee. Both students groaned in response.

"Oh, crap!" Enma yelped as he reached for his phone. "I promised Mami that we would be having dinner together!" The red head quickly gathered all his books and tried shoving them into his bag. Tsuna tried to help as much as possible, and soon Enma was ready to head out. "Thank you for all your help! See you!"

"Ahh, I don't want to study anymore," Tsuna sighed after watching his friend leave.

"That's all right," Reborn said, making Tsuna startle. "It is time for dinner after all."

"Of course," Tsuna grumbled. "So, have you decided on a place?"

"Yes, and it is not far from here," Reborn said as he poked the brunet's forehead. "Stop grumbling."

* * *

"Here you go, I'll give you a few minutes to decide," the waitress said as she handed them a couple of menus. She winked at Reborn before she sashayed away.

Reborn turned from watching the waitress walk away to the brunet in front of him, barely catching a frown before it was hidden behind the menu. _Interesting_.

After a few minutes, the waitress stopped by their table with a pen and a notepad.

"What can I get you, handsome?" she asked slightly leaning forward. Reborn asked for her suggestions, starting a long prattle about her favorite foods.

Reborn chuckled as he noticed from his peripheral the pout on Tsuna's face. Once he deemed it was enough teasing, he told the waitress their original orders and sent the waitress on her way.

"What's with that face?" Reborn smirked as he leaned back.

"What face," Tsuna grumbled as he rested his chin on his hand. He looked out the window, completely ignoring the stare of the raven in front of him. "Oh look, what a cute dog."

The rest of the dinner followed a similar pattern, with the waitress stopping by their table to refill their drinks and flirt with Reborn, Reborn charming her with smirks and one-liners, and Tsuna just trying to enjoy his dinner and the view out the window.

By the time they finished with their entrée, Tsuna was already exhausted and merely slurped on his drink as he watched the scene before him. The waitress had stopped by to ask if they wanted dessert and started rambling about their most popular desserts.

"What do you think, Tsuna?" Reborn turned his eyes towards the brunet, even though his attention had been on him this entire meal.

"Well, I'm already full, especially since this is my fifth cup," Tsuna slurped once more which Reborn found highly amusing.

"All right, let's go pay then," Reborn stood up and walked towards the door.

"Ah, I'll go get your bill ready then," the waitress rushed to the cashier.

Tsuna sighed and gathered his things. He went up to the cashier and payed for their bill and met Reborn at the front of the restaurant.

"I think this is for you," Tsuna handed him the receipt that had their waitress' name and phone number on it surrounded by crudely drawn hearts. He started to make his way back to his apartment and was surprised when Reborn kept up with him.

"That was an interesting dinner," Reborn said strolling alongside the brunet with his hands in his pockets.

"You can say that again," Tsuna sighed. After a few more minutes of walking, Tsuna realized the other man had no intention of stopping. "You don't have to walk me all the way home, you know?"

"That wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me, after all you did buy me dinner," Reborn chuckled. "Or are you just trying to get rid of me?"

"I would say you were the one that was trying to get rid of me," Tsuna pouted.

"Ah yes, her," Reborn combed his hand through his hair. "Don't worry about it."

"I'm not worried," Tsuna said. "It would have been nice to have a nice relaxing dinner though."

Reborn hummed in response as they reached the front of Tsuna's apartment. "Tsuna," he called out as the brunet opened the door. "When is your next day off?"

"Um, next Wednesday?" Tsuna replied with a confused frown.

"Great, keep it free," Reborn said before he turned around and started walking away.

"Well, goodnight to you, too!" Tsuna shouted at his retreating back. He huffed and headed up to his apartment.

* * *

As the week slowly passed by, Tsuna couldn't help but be excited yet afraid of what Wednesday would bring.

Tsuna was having a late lunch after a full morning of chores when his phone chimed from his bedroom. Once he found his phone, the screen was on showing a text message from Reborn.

_Be ready by 3. Dress casual._

Tsuna blinked at the message in confusion. That was approximately in an hour, so that gave him plenty of time to get ready. 

By the time his doorbell rang, Tsuna was lounging on his couch playing on his phone.

"Coming!" he yelled as he got up to open to door. He was expecting Reborn to be standing on the other side of the door, but he was not expecting to see the man to be holding a bouquet of flowers. "Um, wrong house?"

"You idiot, these are for you," Reborn laughed.

"Um, thank you?" Tsuna took the bouquet tentatively. He stood there staring at the flowers trying to wrap his head around the situation.

"Go put them in water and lets go," Reborn said as he turned the brunet by the shoulders and pushed him into the apartment. Tsuna went to put the flowers in a vase, still confused by the flowers themselves. He made his way back to his front door and followed Reborn towards the elevators after locking the door.

Tsuna glared at the other to try and figure out what was going on.

"Stop frowning or you'll get wrinkles," Reborn said as they rode the elevator down to the lobby.

"So where are we going?" Tsuna asked, still frowning.

"It's a surprise," Reborn ruffled Tsuna's hair, finally managing to dispel the frown. Tsuna tried slapping away the offending arm only to have his hand grabbed. "All right, let's go, we are wasting sunlight."

Tsuna noticed that he wasn't being pulled, but rather they were holding hands as they walked side by side.

"Um," Tsuna started.

"Try not to get lost," Reborn smirked at him.

After a couple blocks, Tsuna noticed the streets were getting busier. There were families, groups of friends, and couples merrily walking in the same direction as them. He started to notice the smell of burnt sugar and faint jolly music in the air. Soon, he could see vendor stands selling foods and knickknacks, and game stands where kids and adults alike were cheering and yelling.

Unknowingly, Tsuna started pulling Reborn towards the booths, oohing and awing at the ornaments and handcrafts. He didn't buy anything, but he would stare at certain things in awe, and sometimes even ask about the crafting process.

Walking from one booth to another, Tsuna would bump into people or children would stumble on him unless Reborn was the one walking in front or stood behind him as he browsed through the stands. In between booths selling trinkets, they also passed by gaming booths, be it fish scooping, yo-yo scooping, ring tosses, and many more. Reborn had heard of some of these festival games, but he had never played them.

Tsuna noticed his curiosity and asked the fish scooping vendor for two scoops.

"You want to give it a try?" Tsuna smiled as he offered him one of the scoops.

"Sure," Reborn took the scoop and watched the little kids in front of them try and scoop a fish. They complained when the paper on the scoop broke and left when their parents urged them to. Tsuna crouched down where the kids used to be and pulled at Reborn to do the same.

"Do you know how to play?" the brunet asked.

"I've heard of it. Just scoop the fish into the bag, right?" Reborn stared intently at the fish swimming in the pool. Tsuna nodded. Reborn knew the paper netting would disintegrate if it touched the water, so he skimmed the surface of the water trying to focus on one fish. Once the fish stopped moving, he quickly scooped it up and tried to dump it in the bag only for the fish to flail around and break through the paper net.

Tsuna laughed at his frown and asked the vendor for one more scoop. He handed Reborn the new scoop and stared intently at the pool of fish, getting his own scoop ready. In the blink of an eye, his arm moved fast, and a goldfish was in his bag. He cheered and laughed as he showed off his fish.

Reborn was amused and a little impressed by the brunet, but he was not the World's Best for nothing. He focused his attention on the pool of fish and mimicked the same arm movement as Tsuna, and in a flash, he had a fish in his own bag.

Tsuna clapped for him and even the man managing the booth looked impressed. The brunet tied up their bags and thanked the vendor before making their way to the next stand. Reborn held the two bags with the fish in one hand and took Tsuna's hand with the other. They got a variety of foods as they walked through the rest of the booths and settled down on a patch of grass to the side of the festival.

The brunet was excited to introduce him to a variety of foods Reborn hasn't tried before. They shared food bites as they watched the sun set on the horizon.

Once they finished everything, they cleaned up and Reborn started leading them uphill.

"Reborn? Where are we going?" Tsuna asked as he squinted through the dim lighting. The other didn't say anything, he just kept pulling him forward until they were standing on a small cliff by the mountain side. Reborn sat them down by a fallen log and told him to watch.

Soon enough the sky was lit up with a show of fireworks.

Tsuna stared in awe at the light show and thought back to the events that took place. The flowers, the hand holding, even the other's insistence on paying for their food, and now this. Watching fireworks on a secluded area. It all almost seem like a date.

_A date?_

"Um, Reborn?" Tsuna whispered as he turned to look at his companion only to see him staring back. Reborn brought his hand up to caress the brunet's cheek and answered with a questioning hum. "Um, was this, uh, is this supposed to be a date?"

The raven chuckled and pinched his cheek. "What do you think?"

"Eh?" Tsuna squeaked and blushed as red as a tomato before Reborn pecked him on the forehead, on his temple, on his cheek, and on the corner of his mouth. He looked at the brunet's chocolate brown eyes as if searching for permission or acceptance. At the brunet's look of anticipation, Reborn kissed him on the lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof! I had writer's block for the longest time for this chapter! The coffee scene had me lost. It was also by this point that I realized the conflict between Reborn using his real name Renato or to be going by Reborn. I wanted to make a distinction between Reborn's private life and his hitman life, but it's weird. I wanted Tsuna to exclusively know him as Renato, but it's weird because I'm mostly referring to him as Reborn … Renato might as well be an alias at this point in his life even though it is his birth name. I realized that it would've been weird, too, for Tsuna to introduce him as Renato because that means that his birth name will get publicly known? Which I guess it's not good for a top class assassin. In the end, I guess I made it both? I had written him as Renato in the beginning, but I went back to the beginning and changed everything.
> 
> Also, another trouble I had with this chapter was that I could not decide whether to make Reborn charming or tsundere-ish when he shows up at the door; like using some cheesy pick up line, or just be like "They are for you, you idiot." but seeming as I'm horrible at pickup lines, it was a mix? Also, place setting is hard! I started with a local festival idea, that blew into a carnival? A more festive festival? I just realized that I set them to start at 11 and now I have to think of enough activities or ways to make them have fun until nightfall when fireworks can actually be seen? So I changed it to have them meet up later.
> 
> Last note! Only by the end of the this chapter did I realize (via google) that "raven" is actually not a proper noun to refer to someone who has black hair, which is what I had been doing since chapter one. I don't want to over use their names so now I have go back and rewrite some bits.
> 
> This was my writing process! :D See you next chapter!
> 
> Ps. Thanks to @PippiPunk98 for pointing out that it is spelled "Enma" and not "Emma" XD


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made it just in time for their birthdays!! :D
> 
> Please enjoy!

Tsuna grumbled as he was shaken awake. He opened his eyes to see Reborn looming above him.

"Come on, wake up sleepy head, we are here," Reborn peppered his face with kisses until Tsuna started to giggle.

"Ok, ok, I'm up," Tsuna laughed as he tried to push Reborn's face away. Reborn kissed him one last time before he got out of the car. Tsuna stretched within the confines of the car before getting out.

The sun shone brightly high in the sky. Families and groups of friends were laughing and running about on the beach, enjoying a hot summer day in July.

After the night of fireworks and their first kiss, Reborn walked him back to his apartment. Before he left, they shared one last kiss. They met up as usual for their tutoring sessions, but nothing more due their own jobs and Tsuna's schooling. Now that university was done, Reborn proposed they to the beach, and Tsuna eagerly agreed. Reborn rented a car and drove them to the coast where Tsuna fell asleep halfway through.

Reborn got their bags from the trunk and they walked down to the beach hand in hand. They found a clearing not too close to the water, but close enough to keep an eye on their stuff if they decided to go for a swim. They set their bags down and Reborn insisted on putting sunblock on Tsuna.

Tsuna giggled through the whole process due to his ticklishness until Reborn started tickling him, then he started laughing. Tsuna managed to roll away to escape and retaliated by demanding he be the one to put sunblock on Reborn.

"Well, go ahead," Reborn leaned back on his arms and arched an eyebrow expectantly.

"But," Tsuna frowned as he waved a hand in Reborn's general direction. "You have to take off your shirt."

"I would appreciate it if you could do it for me," Reborn smirked. Tsuna blushed at the idea but gathered his wits to sit on the other's stretched out legs. He slowly unbuttoned the shirt with trembling hands and once he was done, he expected the other to shrug off the shirt, but Reborn just kept staring at him, unmoving. Tsuna pouted as he pushed the shirt off with great embarrassment.

"Oh, getting forceful are we," Reborn teased, but remained unmoving. Tsuna huffed and slapped a hand with sunblock hard on the other's chest and started rubbing it in vigorously. Reborn just laughed and turned around when Tsuna was done. "All right, just get my back and we'll go swimming."

Tsuna kept pouting as he got more sunblock and started spreading it on Reborn's back. As he was rubbing, he noticed how wide his shoulders were and how long his back was. Tsuna could feel a sense of vulnerability and trust from looking at Reborn from the back.

Tsuna smiled and kissed the nape of his neck before running away.

Reborn startled at the kiss and gave chase. "You think you can run away from me?" Once he caught up, Tsuna squealed as he was lifted by the waist and then he was dunked in the water.

They spent the day playing in the water, eating a small lunch Tsuna had packed, and took a nap under the shade of their umbrella. In the evening, they took a stroll by the harbor, had dinner in a seaside restaurant, and a quiet drive home.

* * *

As summer ended, the warm days turned into cold ones, and Tsuna found himself stuck in bed with a cold. He coughed as he reached for his phone.

_Got a cold :( don't come over _

He sent the message and slumped back into bed.

Next time he woke up it was to the shrilling sound of his doorbell. He reluctantly got up with his blanket wrapped tightly around him and went to open his door.

He was expecting a salesperson or a neighbor to be at his door, the last person he had been expecting was Reborn.

Before he could say anything, he had a coughing fit and would have collapsed onto the floor had Reborn not picked him up. He was deposited on his bed and Reborn passed him a bottle of water.

"Why are you here?" Tsuna rasped after he took a gulp of water.

"To check that you haven't died yet," Reborn said as he tucked the blanket around him. Tsuna started laughing, but it turned into another coughing fit. "You idiot."

"I don't want you to get sick," Tsuna called out as Reborn went to get some cold medication and the take-out bag he brought with him.

"Don't worry about it, I'm pretty sturdy. Now, sit up," Reborn said as he came back into the room and sat beside him on the bed. He handed Tsuna some cold medication and once that was gone, he placed a bowl of soup on the brunet's lap.

"Want to watch something?" Tsuna asked as he pointed towards his bedside table where his laptop was. Reborn placed the laptop on his lap and followed Tsuna's instructions to play an animated tv show, or as he called it, an anime. Reborn did not watch much of any television shows or movies, much less likely anything animated, but Tsuna insisted.

Once Tsuna finished his soup, Reborn placed the bowl on the bedside table absent mindedly, his main attention fixated on the screen. Tsuna wrapped the blanket around himself and Reborn, secretly delighted in seeing the other so hooked on the anime.

Tsuna eventually fell asleep lulled by the background noise and Reborn's warmth, and Reborn just held him tighter as he played the next episode.

* * *

When Tsuna passed by a department store on his way home, he saw costumes and candies and decorations for Halloween displayed lavishly.

_Ah, it's already October_

October meant he got another year older. It meant his birthday was coming up soon, but ever since the death of his mother, he hasn't celebrated it. The past few years it was spent working, and the ones before that it was spent lying in bed.

He still didn't feel like doing anything special, but it reminded Tsuna that he didn't know when Reborn's birthday was.

Tsuna asked him when they were having dinner.

"Why? Are you going to plan something special?" Reborn grinned. "Do you want some suggestions? Do I get to make requests?"

"If it is a surprise, you are not supposed to know about it," Tsuna pouted. "So, when is it?"

Reborn stared at him pensively before saying, "If I do tell you, I get to make one request, any request."

"Sure," Tsuna said with apprehension.

"October 13," Reborn smirked with satisfaction. "Now, about that request."

Tsuna was glad that it hadn't passed yet but thought of how it was a weird coincidence their birthdays were only one day apart. He started thinking of possible gifts and cake recipes, and only caught the end of Reborn's sentence.

"So pack for a weekend trip."

"What?" Tsuna asked flabbergasted.

"Clothing is optional, I have no problem with that," Reborn smirked. Tsuna huffed and cleaned up their plates. Reborn followed him to the sink and hugged the brunet from behind. "Don't worry your pretty little head about it, just as long as you do as I say, I will be the happiest man on earth."

"That is not how gift giving works," Tsuna mumbled, but his frustrations were soon swept away by Reborn who peppered his face and neck with kisses.

Tsuna kept thinking about what he could get for Reborn's present. _A scarf?_ He thought as he watched a customer walk around the bookstore. _A mug?_ He thought as he browsed through a gift shop. Before he knew it, it was October 12 and they were driving out of town.

Tsuna stared in awe as they parked in front of a hot springs resort. They checked in and were led to their room where they settled down.

They decided to go walking around the local town first. They walked by a variety of shops and eateries and even visited a shrine at the top of the mountain. In the evening, they had dinner in the resort and went to the hot springs.

The next morning, Tsuna had wanted to wake up early to surprise Reborn, but it seemed that no matter how early he woke up, Reborn was always awake before him and always fell asleep after him.

Tsuna woke up to see Reborn caressing his cheek. "Happy birthday," Tsuna said happily.

"Thank you," Reborn said. He kissed Tsuna on the forehead before getting up. "Come on, we have things to do today."

Reborn insisted they go hiking to improve Tsuna's fitness. Tsuna was not amused as he took another break.

"Can't," Tsuna gasped as he leaned on his knees. "Go on without me."

"Stop being so dramatic, we only have a couple more meters to go, come on," Reborn said as he took Tsuna's hand and slowly pulled him forward. He wasn't even sweating, not to mention out of breath. Tsuna wanted to slap that perfect smile off that handsome face.

Little by little, they made their way up the mountain and finally reached the top. Tsuna relished in the view of the whole town for a few seconds before collapsing against Reborn.

After resting for a couple of minutes, they decided to go the teahouse at the top of the mountain to have some lunch before making their way down. They walked around the town a little bit more before retiring to the resort where Reborn said he had to make a call. Tsuna took his chance and said that he would take a walk.

Tsuna managed to buy a small coffee cake and the gift he had been eyeing the first time they walked through town.

By the time he got back to their room, Reborn was lounging in a dark blue yukata idly typing on his laptop. Tsuna was glad he had left the cake at the reception to keep it in the refrigerator, but he still had the small gift to hide behind his back, unfortunately Reborn noticed right away.

"What's that?" Reborn said as he tried peeking at Tsuna's back while Tsuna just walked backwards to avoid the other's hands.

"Nothing!" Tsuna tried running, engaging Reborn in a short chase around the table before he was stopped by arms wrapping around his waist.

"Give up or you will be punished," Reborn threatened.

"Never!" Tsuna yelled as he clutched the package tight against his chest. Reborn started tickling him mercilessly, and Tsuna collapsed with a loud cry and started laughing uncontrollably. Once he started shedding tears and gasping for breath, Reborn stopped and snatched the box out of Tsuna's loose grasp.

Tsuna lay on the floor giggling as Reborn inspected the box. It was a simple black jewelry box and inside it was a small folded card.

_Happy birthday!_

Below the card, lay a square crystal blue pendant with a small silver sun ingrained in the inside.

"Um, you don't have to wear it or anything," Tsuna mumbled into his hands as he lay on the floor curled on his side with his hands covering his blushing face. "I just saw it and thought of you."

Reborn hummed as he took the necklace out of the box and hooked it around his neck. He grinned at the glinting pendant from the fading sun and scooped the brunet up off the ground.

Tsuna squeaked as he was lifted. "Where are you going? I can walk by myself!"

"We are going to the hot springs now, my special day is not over yet, and you still have to fulfill my request," Reborn said as he kept walking down the hall with a tight grip on the brunet.

Tsuna gave in begrudgingly with a sigh.

* * *

After the bath, they had a quick dinner in their room and an attendant brought in the coffee cake with a lit candle.

Once the cake was finished, Reborn handed Tsuna a paper bag as he pushed him into the bedroom. "This is my request and you can't say no, you promised," he said before he slid the bedroom partition close. Tsuna stared at the bag in his arms with an apprehensive frown. He dumped the contents onto their shared bed and held up the item in front of him.

"Absolutely not!" Tsuna yelled as he pushed the partition open. Reborn had not moved from his spot and stared the flaming brunet in front of him.

"But you said this was my special day," Reborn looked despondent. "You are the one who insisted on celebrating it. I was fine with not doing anything, I never do anything other than work." He heaved a sigh and slowly reached out for the garment clutched in Tsuna's hands.

"Um, but, I mean, can you not make another request? Anything else? There must be something else," Tsuna felt terrible at the downcast look on Reborn, but his pride was still conflicting with the feeling of guilt inside of him. Reborn tried to take back the costume he had requested Tsuna to wear, but Tsuna didn't let go either. "Are you sure there is nothing else? I-I could give you a massage? We could have an anime marathon?"

Reborn shook his head in silence. Tsuna's inner turmoil crumbled with the silence. He took the item back and stepped back into the bedroom.

"You can't laugh or anything, all right?" Tsuna pouted as he slid the partition closed. He sighed and turned back to the bed where the rest of the costume was.

He had a small premonition back when he had introduced Reborn into the world of anime, but he had blamed on his sickness. He would've never thought it would come to this. This being a magical girl's costume from a shoujo anime that Reborn was fascinated with. He suspected that Reborn had gotten the costume a size or two smaller because there was no way the skirt was that short and there was no way the shirt allowed so much skin to be shown. At least the socks were up to his mid-thigh and the gloves reached his elbows.

Starting the process of dressing up, Tsuna discovered a whole new problem. The shortness and the style of the skirt felt weird with his regular underwear, and one offending item that he had been trying to ignore the whole time seemed to be glaring back at him. There were only two choices left for Tsuna, wear the frilly panties or wear nothing at all.

Tsuna huffed in a mix of frustration and embarrassment before dressing up quickly without thinking about what he was dressing up in. Once done, he slid the partition open forcefully.

"Ok, there," Tsuna glared at the ground, not willing and unable to see how Reborn reacted. The longer the silence stretched on, the more nervous Tsuna got. He peeked up at Reborn's face without lifting his head and met Reborn's smoldering gaze. "Um."

Reborn took Tsuna’s hand without a word and placed him in the middle of their bed.

"Reborn?" Tsuna whispered. Reborn had yet to say a word let alone show any reaction, he just stared at Tsuna by the end of the bed with an intense gaze. "S-sorry, I know it's not at all like the a-anime, and I know you are di-"

"Tsuna," Reborn rasped. Tsuna opened his eyes, not knowing when he had closed them, to see Reborn looming above him with one hand caressing his cheek and wiping a stray tear away. "Tsuna," Reborn whispered before kissing him.

It started with a gentle kiss that turned heated and more forceful. Tsuna had to break away to gasp for air, but Reborn was undeterred. He continued kissing and biting any part of the brunet he could reach and his hands caressing and groping everywhere else, getting more vigorous with every passing second.

"Reborn," Tsuna called out once more, but the earnestness and love in those obsidian eyes shocked him into silence. With one last kiss to Reborn's forehead, Tsuna decided all he could do now was hold on and enjoy the ride.

* * *

The next morning, Tsuna woke up with a sharp sting to his lower back. He groaned as he tried to find a more comfortable position while Reborn chuckled from the doorway. Tsuna tried throwing a pillow towards him only to have the pillow flop by the end of the bed.

"Don't be so grumpy, look I even brought you breakfast in bed," Reborn said as he sat down on the bed with a tray on his lap. "I will even hand feed you."

"No," Tsuna grumbled as he curled into a ball away from Reborn. "I don't trust you anymore, you devil."

"I will give you a massage and pamper you all day," Reborn whispered into his ear. "I will even give you your gift now if you are good."

"Eh?" Tsuna lifted his head to look at Reborn. "What gift?"

"Your birthday gift," Reborn pulled the brunet against him and placed the food tray on Tsuna's lap. On top of the cloche that kept the food warm was a folded card with colorful bold letters on the front.

_Happy Birthday!_

Tsuna stared at the tray speechless before turning to look at the man behind him. "How did you know?"

"I asked around," Reborn mentioned offhandedly as he placed the card on the bed and lifted the cloche. There were pancakes drizzled with syrup, some scrambled eggs, a bowl of fruits, and a colorful sparkly cupcake. Reborn reached around him to cut a piece of the pancake before feeding it to Tsuna. Breakfast was slowly finished in a similar fashion with Reborn occasionally taking sips from his espresso cup, and sometimes Tsuna feeding Reborn.

"Thank you, Reborn," Tsuna mumbled into Reborn's shirt after they had finished breakfast.

"Go lie down," Reborn dropped a kiss on the brunet's head before pulling away. "I did say I would give you a massage after all, and I'm a man of my word."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally I was going to write small oneshots of maybe like a major date for them for each month, ie. beach in July, their birthdays in October, Christmas in December, New Years in January, etc. but I really couldn't think of anything for the some months, so this is it.
> 
> So for this chapter I had to look up Onsen places. Surprisingly there is one called Kurokawa Onsen in the Kumamoto Prefecture, but I just decided to leave it as a generic place for now. Also, have I mentioned that I'm a horrible gift giver? It took me at least three days to think of what Tsuna could possibly buy for Reborn. I went through many ideas like a good luck charm? A protection charm? A scarf? A phone strap? And then BAM! Necklace.
> 
> And through my read through to check for mistakes and such stuff, I realized that I completely forgot about Reborn's cake, so I had to go back and change some stuff.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	5. Chapter 5

Reborn woke up slowly with the sunlight peeking in from the curtains. He took a quick check of his surroundings to determine there was nothing suspicious in the room. Once satisfied, he looked down at the figure snoozing in his arms.

He didn't make it a habit to lie in bed with nothing to do, but he supposed today would be an exception.

Today was the last day of his sabbatical after all. His flight back to Italy would be in the afternoon and everything was already arranged for his departure.

The mission he had originally been assigned to was completed a couple of months ago with all the crucial and related information seized after the target's experiments resulted in a collapse. The man was recruited by the organization that hired Reborn and was now on their payroll as one of the leading researchers.

Reborn thought back through the most memorable times in the past year.

Christmas had been a quiet and simple dinner with anime marathons and celebrating the new year with a drunk Tsuna had been riveting. Valentine's had been filled with chocolates and whip cream and strawberries. A similar occasion to the celebration of their birthdays, where Tsuna regretted everything the next day and Reborn would forever remember the night and come up with new ideas for future requests.

Last night was their final night together and they spent it at a dinner in a nice restaurant and a whole night of passion and cuddles.

Reborn decided he needed his coffee, so he extracted himself from the brunet's arms without disturbing his sleep.

* * *

Tsuna stirred awake to the feeling of someone staring at him. He opened his eyes to see Reborn working on his laptop and a cup of coffee in hand.

"Finally awake?" Reborn ran his hand through soft brown hair. Tsuna responded wordlessly by cuddling closer to the other.

After a couple minutes, Tsuna sighed and silently got up to brush his teeth. He knew this day had been coming and he had come to terms with it, but theory was different from practice. Once he finished his morning routine, he slumped back into bed. Reborn continued running his hand through the brunet's hair.

The morning passed with Tsuna lying in bed and Reborn working on his laptop. By 11 o'clock, Reborn nudged Tsuna to go change.

"We'll have some lunch before going to the airport," Reborn said. Tsuna merely nodded in response.

Lunch was a simple affair at a small restaurant where Tsuna cheered up a little bit.

Soon they were standing at the airport terminal surrounded by families and couples saying their own goodbyes. Tsuna had been holding onto Reborn's hand since they left the restaurant and now that he needed to let go he could feel a sense of dread creeping up on him. He tried keep his composure together and keep the tears at bay, but his eyes were still getting watery.

Reborn titled his head up and seeing those obsidian eyes coupled with a smile, Tsuna couldn't help it when the tears started sliding down his cheeks. "Sorry," Tsuna mumbled as he tried wiping the tears away.

"You idiot," Reborn hugged him tight and peppered his face with kisses until Tsuna started giggling. "Can you see me off with a smile?"

Tsuna nodded enthusiastically. "You better call me when you land, ok? I don't care how late it is."

"Ok," Reborn replied. They shared one last kiss before Reborn walked through the terminal.

Once he was out of sight, he pulled a black fedora with an orange stripe out of his briefcase and placed it on his head. He headed towards a gate guarded by two burly men in black suits.

"_Mr. Reborn__,_" one of the men greeted him in Italian as soon as he got close. "_The plane is ready__._" The men stepped aside and followed him down the bridge. They walked out onto the runway guarded by other men in suits and up the ramp of a private jet.

Once in his seat, Reborn made a call.

"_Chaos._"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada! We have finally come full circle! Lol, writing this chapter I had to search up some airport terminology.
> 
> Honestly, this whole piece was just a prelude to an idea that I had which was meant to be the main, if not only, work I was going to write, but I always seem to overthink and bam, prequel! The sequel, the main idea that started all this, will mainly follow Reborn and will be told from outsiders POV. So please look forward to that!
> 
> Also, thank you to everyone who left a comment or a kudo! When I posted the first couple of chapters I would refresh the website multiple times during the day to see if I got any new comment or new kudos, and thankfully work got busier the past couple of weeks so that distracted me a little. Thank you very much!!


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